Bun package



P. c. PlERsQN ETAL BUN ggcxcf" x: Filed April 15. was

M wn mw w .w P C mf h LarzJ/zuef al? @4% hwg ATTORNEYJ United States Patent() This invention relates to a package for bakery products such as buns or rolls.

Freshly baked products such as buns or rolls present numerous problems in delivering them from the bakery to the consumer. The freshly baked products are soft, and care must be exercised not to crush them during the packaging of the same and their transportation to the retail markets. As the bakery products have a very short life, seldom more than a day, the wrapping material for the package must be of very inexpensive material because it is thrown away once the package is opened. Again, the bakery products must be Wrapped at high speed in automatic machinery, and the finished package must be such that it presents an attractive appearance on a store shelf.

The objects of this invention are to produce a bakery product package' which overcomes the above diiculties.

In general, these objects are obtained b-y forming a package insert which is composed of a central partition `and two end panels, The bakery products are placed on opposite sides of this partition, and then a thin piece of transparent material wrapped around the assembly, with the closing flaps of the transparent material sealed together while being pressed against the end panels.

This structure prevents the soft bakery products from being crushed while being wrapped, and the end panels, re-enforced by the central partition, provide a surface against which the closing flaps of the transparent wrapping material can be abutted while being heat sealed in automatic wrapping equipment. During the transport from the bakery to the store, the insert gives sucient rigidity to the package so that the bakery products are not crushed, even when the packages are piled upon each other. On a store shelf, the transparent sides of the packages are exposed to the eyes of the customer so that the bakery products can be seen; and the customer can feel or squeeze the bakery products between the thumb and fingers of one hand through the exible, transparent wrapping material.

The means by which the objects of the invention are obtained are described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bun package according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view through Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of package insert.

In Figures 1 and 2, the insert is composed of a central Patented Oct. 15, 1957 "ice cardboard partition 10 having downwardly turned end lianges 12 which are rebent at their lower edges 14 into upwardly extending cardboard end panels 16. Thus the panels 16 extend at right angles to partition 10 on both sides thereof, and have a length substantially equal to the thickness of the bakery products to be packaged. As shown, cardboard end panels are fastened to flanges 12 by staples 18, although they could be glued or otherwise secured together. Panels 16 are stiff enough to be shape retaining, but can be flattened out to lie on top of partition 10 so that inserts can be shipped as flats.

Buns B, or rolls or the like, are arranged on each side of partition 10, as shown in Figures l and 2. The unit is then wrapped with transparent material 20, the closing flaps 24 and 26 of which are overlapped and heat sealed together while being pressed against end panels 16. Central partition 10 is stiff enough to constitute a reenforcing abutment for end panels 16 as the aps 24 and 26 are pressed thereagainst during the heat sealing in the Wrapping machine, while at the same time affording protection against crushing the enclosed products.

The package is therefore composed of inexpensive, throw-away material, while being sufficiently rigid to withstand the crushing of the enclosed productsduring wrapping and transport from the bakery to the retail store and stacked on the shelves. When placed on a store shelf, the end panels 16 are arranged perpendicular to the front edge of the shelf so that the products are exposed to the purchasers view through the transparent wrapper. At the same time, a customer can feel the enclosed products to determine their relative freshness, Without encountering the stiffening insert.

In the modification of Figure 3, the central partition 30 has short, downwardly turned end flanges 32. End panels 34 are glued or otherwise fastened to anges 32, this structure using less material than the insert shown in Figure 1, yet retaining all of its essential advantages.

Having now described the means by which the objects of the invention are obtained, we claim:

l. A bakery products package comprising a central partition, end panels secured to two opposite ends of said partition and extending above and below said partition at right angles thereto, soft bakery products positioned on both sides of said partition, a wrapper of thin, transparent material enclosing said products and end panels with said products being viewable through said wrapper from both above and below said partition, and closing flaps for said wrapper sealed together against said end panels.

2. A bakery products package as in claim 1, further comprising end anges on said partition, and means se- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,368,797 Bailar Feb. 6, 1945 2,475,107 Newsom July 5, 1949 2,738,917

Mader Mar. 20, 1956 

1. A BAKERY PRODUCTS PACKAGE COMPRISISNG A CENTRAL PARTITION, END PANELS SECURED TO TWO OPPOSIT ENDS OF SAID PARTITION AND EXTENDING ABOVE AND BELOW SAID PARTITION AT RIGHT ANGLES THERETO, SOFT BAKERY PRODUCTS POSITIONED ON BOTH SIDES OF SAID PARTITION A WRAPPER OF THIN, TRANSPARENT MATERIAL ENCLOSING SAID PRODUCTS AND END PANELS WITH SAID PRODUCTS BEING VIEWABLE THROUGH SAID WAPPER FROM BOTH ABOVE AND BELOW SAID PARTITION, AND CLOSING FLAPS FOR SAID WRAPPER SEALED TOGETHER AGAINST SAID END PANELS. 